


Black Velvet

by gojira_iwaizumi



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Angst, Dark Thoughts, Depression, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Minor Kyouhaba - Freeform, Stripper AU, Stripper Oikawa Tooru, adding tags as I go, borderline suicide attempt, hinata shouyou is a ray of sunshine, kageyama is his grumpy tsundere boyfriend, major fluff and smut coming soon, matsuhana meme team, minor asanoya
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:21:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21877315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gojira_iwaizumi/pseuds/gojira_iwaizumi
Summary: Iwaizumi never knew he could be clingy until Oikawa randomly started avoiding him. Whenever Iwaizumi calls his phone, he's either immediately sent to voicemail or is hurriedly asked if they could postpone meeting up. Texts are straight-up ignored and none of their friends have heard from him either. After three solid weeks of consecutive rejection, Iwaizumi's had enough.Distraught and heartbroken in the dead of a winter night, Iwaizumi decides to drown his sorrows in alcohol. Unbeknownst to him, however, the bar he walks into has a connecting strip club, and there just so happens to be a special guest performing the same night.
Relationships: Hanamaki Takahiro/Matsukawa Issei, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru
Comments: 14
Kudos: 137





	Black Velvet

_He’s totally avoiding me._

The phone rings.

“Hey, Oikawa, wanna hang out tonight? I just got off work, I bet we can be at the bar by nine. Yahaba works as a bartender at The Green Leaf, did you know that? He got the job about two weeks ago, apparently. I think Kyotani will be there tonight too, we can get drunk off our asses.”

“Ah... sorry, Iwa-chan! I have stuff planned, maybe we can go another time. Say hi to Yahaba-chan and Mad Dog-chan for me!”

“Oh, uh... sure thing. See you around.”

“See ya!”

_Oikawa’s been very... distant lately._

The next night, the phone rings again.

“Hey, wanna go out tonight? I heard about this new steakhouse down the block, it’s supposed to be really fuckin’ good. Makki was raving about it for, I think, about an hour earlier, and Mattsun said their barbecue sauce is to die for.”

“Sorry, Iwa-chan. I’d love to, but I’m busy tonight. Another time?”

“Hm... sure. Bye then.”

“Bye!~”

_He keeps putting me off, saying we can hang out another time. He’s not replying to any of my texts either. He’s usually not busy..._

Two nights later, the phone rings again.

“Trashykawa, guess what? I just caught Mattsun and Makki fucking in their apartment, you gotta come hear this they don’t even know I’m here I’m outside in the hall- holy shit,” there’s a stifled laugh, “they’re so fuckin’ loud! I'm gonna spook 'em then force them to take me out to dinner, and I was wondering if you'd like to-“

“Sorry, Iwa-chan... I’m really busy right now. Damn, I wish I could be there! Record them for me?”

There’s a pause. The laughter quickly fades.

_Busy. Again. It’s no big deal._

“Record them banging? Fuck no, I don’t need that on my phone. I’ll record myself scarin' em though.”

“Perfect, good luck! Oop, I gotta go. See you around!”

“See ya.”

_I can't help but wonder... wonder if I did something wrong._

Almost one week later, the phone rings one more time.

“Yo, Oikawa...-“

There’s the sound of pulsing music and overlapping voices on Oikawa’s end and Iwaizumi cuts himself off. He quickly deciphers that Oikawa’s not alone.

_What the hell?_

“Hey, Iwa-chan! Sorry, I’m doing something right now. Can you call back tomorrow?”

_No._

Iwaizumi hangs up, probably catching Oikawa off guard. That was his answer. _No more excuses. I don’t wanna hear ‘em anymore._

And with that, he starts walking.

The sky above is dark, but the city skyscrapers around him are mostly lit up with flashy billboards or simple lamps in the windows. The night air is cold, so much so that every single passerby has a heavy jacket on— it’s wintertime. Iwaizumi has on a black thin-fit coat, long pants, and a grey plaid scarf wrapped around his neck that hides his mouth and makes him look all cute and grumpy- which he is, according to Oikawa. Right now he’s particularly disgruntled, however, and the crease in his brows makes it obvious.

It’s been about two weeks since Oikawa suddenly started avoiding him. It’s not like they talk every second of every day but they’d fallen into a routine of texting back and forth quite often, as well as calling and just relaxing and talking to each other... basically, enjoying each other’s company. It’s comforting, at least to Iwaizumi especially after a long, hard day of lame office work. They’ve been best friends ever since they were little and they’ve always hung out— at least, until two weeks ago.

No texts. No calls. No nothing. Even their closest friends, Hanamaki and Matsukawa, hadn’t heard anything from him, but at this point, they were more worried for Iwaizumi.

Iwaizumi never thought of himself as clingy. Oikawa’s supposed to be the clingy one, whining to him about some random bullshit until Iwaizumi literally knocks some sense into him. It’s always been like that.

Always.

So why does he feel so desperate?

And why now, of all times? All of a sudden?

There’s a cold gust of wind that shakes Iwaizumi to his core, helping remind him that he’s alone yet again tonight, wandering aimlessly in a downtown city. He could probably text one of his friends to meet up, but dark thoughts had begun to cloud his better judgement and make him think, why would anyone want to hang out with me?

Hanamaki and Matsukawa, who have been an official couple since their senior year in high school, are most definitely hanging out together— hell, it was highly likely they were banging right about now. Honestly, if they were and he popped into their apartment to say hello, they’d probably immediately suggest he join them for a threesome. As... interesting as that sounded, Iwaizumi did not want to get involved in that whatsoever, but even if they weren’t making love, he didn’t want to bother them.

Yahaba and Kyotani were surely at the bar The Green Leaf. Iwaizumi wasn’t far and he could easily join them too, but he didn’t want to disturb them either after what he found out the last time he went. Kyotani, albeit reluctantly, admitted to him in secret that he had the hots for Yahaba, and was a total mess of emotions when he was around him which Iwaizumi fearlessly agreed with. He needed to work on his flirting skills, and Iwaizumi felt like him being there would only put more pressure on Kyotani. He didn’t want to embarrass someone that looked up to him. And besides, maybe Watari, who worked at the same place, would do the embarrassing instead.

Kunimi and Kindaichi were probably on a little study date or something. They both went to the same local college and, from what Iwaizumi had heard, they oftentimes hung out together and had grown very close to each other. Kunimi was a good influence on Kindaichi, who could be very simpleminded sometimes, and Kindaichi taught Kunimi how to have a little fun every now and then. They were a good team, and Iwaizumi didn’t want to ruin their groove.

Iwaizumi feels... like an outcast. A nobody. A loner. And all because Oikawa wouldn’t hang out with him. Pathetic, right? Surely.

A dreadful hour passes, and Iwaizumi doesn’t get so much as a text from Oikawa asking why he hung up. But... why would he receive such a text? It wasn’t like Oikawa wanted to talk to him, or even could because he was busy doing God knows what. It sounded like he’d been with other people when Iwaizumi called him- and then it clicks.

_New friends?_

Oikawa’s an attractive guy— soft brown hair, alluring caramel eyes, sharp features, sexy body that Iwaizumi desperately wanted to touch... it wasn’t much of a surprise when people came up to him fawning and gushing as if he were some celebrity. It was never hard for him to make friends and fans out of random people, and Iwaizumi realizes that maybe he’s found other people to love him. Maybe he’s found people cooler than Iwaizumi, and Hanamaki, and Matsukawa, and all the others, and he was hanging out with them instead. Iwaizumi easily remembers hearing joyous laughter and talking in the background during their last call... maybe Oikawa was out drinking and partying with his new, better, cooler friends. He feels like a child thinking about this, but he can’t help it.

Maybe that’s all Oikawa’s been doing these past few days.

Maybe that’s why Oikawa’s been ignoring Iwaizumi’s texts and turning him away whenever he calls.

Maybe that’s why Oikawa doesn’t want to hang out with him anymore.

In a sudden fit of anger, Iwaizumi grips his phone and throws it at the brick wall to his right. There’s a horrible cracking sound and a shocked curse from a passersby as the device shatters upon impact then hits the ground, but Iwaizumi doesn’t care.

A few seconds later, Iwaizumi regains his sense of reality and picks up his phone with a soft sigh. The screen is ugly and cracked down the middle in several different ways, and he doesn’t even bother to turn it on and see if it works anymore.

_I... needed a new phone anyway._

With a defeated look on his face, he shoves the broken phone into his coat pocket and resumes walking to who knows where, keeping his head down.

And as his head is held low and his gaze is hurt and downcast, his eyes start to shimmer.

He grips his plaid scarf with his gloved hands. Shit, I’m so pathetic... He squeezes his eyes shut and tears begin to run down his cheeks, making them colder than they already were. _You’re so fucking pathetic, Hajime... it’s not that big of a deal. He's not obligated to hang out with you and you knew you weren’t that important to him, so why the hell are you so hurt?_

As his feet move on their own, Iwaizumi’s thoughts begin to consume him.

_What, did you think he liked you or something? Yeah, maybe in your fucking dreams. In your dreams is the only place he’d love you, or even spare you a second glance. There’s other people out there that are way more interesting than you are, Iwaizumi Hajime... other people that can carry him to glory and fame, like he’d always hoped for. There’s other people that are worthy of his attention, and can give him everything he wants, and treat him way better than you can. He’ll go on to become famous and have all of his dreams come true, and while alongside somebody else that’s much more successful than YOU. They’ll have an amazing personality, and good looks, and absolutely zero flaws, and have a countless number of talents; they’ll be perfect for Oikawa._

_Oikawa only accepts perfection— and you’re not perfect, Iwaizumi Hajime. You can’t even buck up and tell him how you feel._

_Why are you even here?_

_You don’t really have any purpose._

_Hopeless._

_Lame._

_Boring._

_Pathetic._

_A joke._

_You should just—_

“-I-Iwaizumi-san!”

Iwaizumi’s eyes shoot open as he feels a firm grip on his hood, holding him back from walking into the street and directly into the path of an oncoming taxi. The strong gust from the speeding vehicle rushes past him, the end of his scarf flying in the wind to emphasize just how close of an encounter that was.

_Huh? What...? Where...? How did I...?_

He’s pulled away from the street and turned, and Iwaizumi immediately recognizes who his savior is under the neon light of a billboard overhead. He hopes the tear stains on his cheeks aren’t as visible, as well as the unmistakable shine in his eyes.

He doesn’t want to look weak in front of Kageyama Tobio. He can’t.

“K-Kageyama...” Iwaizumi starts, awestruck.

With a flushed look on his face, the black-haired and blue-eyed boy cuts him off, “Iwaizumi-san, you have to look both ways before crossing the street! You could have been seriously hurt! What the hell were you thinking?!” He sounds so frantic and worried, Iwaizumi feels a heavy pang of guilt radiate throughout his chest.

Kageyama Tobio was his kouhai back in middle school. He was talented at volleyball, always had been, and he looked up to his senpais and oftentimes asked them for tips and critique. Iwaizumi was always happy to oblige but Oikawa, that damn immature bastard, was always too prideful to help. Either way, Kageyama blossomed into a wonderful setter on another team, and Iwaizumi was proud of him. Again, always had been.

_And it hurt Iwaizumi to have Kageyama see him like this. What an awful Senpai I am, dammit! Just let me shrivel up in a corner and die._

_Quick, make up an excuse._

“I...”

“Kaaageyyyaaamaaaaa!”

Startled, Iwaizumi looks past Kageyama, spotting a familiar orange-haired boy running up to them. His face is as bright as ever and once he arrives, he launches himself at Kageyama and wraps his arms around him from the side. “I found a restaurant we can go to! It’s just around the corner from here, they have pork curry and Tamago gohan!!” He’s staring up at Kageyama with big eyes and an excited blush on his cheeks.

Hinata Shouyo— fast, determined, and probably way too extroverted and over-affectionate for someone as reserved for Kageyama. And yet, they’re a perfect fit.

 _He’s still a ray of sunshine..._ Iwaizumi thinks, noting how Hinata’s facial features had matured some and his hair was a little longer now. It’s nice to see the two of them still together.

“Really?!” Kageyama, not really fazed by the embrace, falls out of his serious expression and instead looks shocked— until he realizes that. He closes his mouth and shakes his head. “Not now, Hinata!” he snaps.

“Wha-?! Why?!” Hinata cries and Kageyama grabs his head and turns it forward. It takes him a moment, but then he unwraps himself from Kageyama and goes, “Ohhhh,” and points directly at Iwaizumi, causing him to blink and briefly glance down at his outstretched arm. “Ah! I remember you! You were number four on Seijoh’s volleyball team, Iwaizumi Hajime! You were the ace!” he exclaims and steps forward, eyes sparkling. Iwaizumi feels his own eyes burning from how fucking bright Hinata is, he wasn’t sure how Kageyama dealt with it.

“You’re so cool! Your spikes were like bam! And pow! And, and- whoosh and swooooosh!” Hinata’s making over-exaggerated spiking gestures and Iwaizumi can’t help but smile with warmth.

_Neither of them have changed._

Hinata notices his smile and calms down. “But, hey... what’re you doing out here all alone? It’s late, and really cold out,” he lifts a brow.

Iwaizumi’s smile fades. “Oh, uh... nothin,’” he shrugs. “Was just... walking home from work. And, um, thanks... Kageyama,” he looks at him and he nods firmly in response. “I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

“It’s no problem,” Kageyama replies easily, and Iwaizumi’s shoulders relax. Hinata glances between them confusedly but doesn’t question anything.

“So... what’re you two doing out here?”

Hinata beams again and throws an arm around Kageyama’s shoulders. He has to reach up because of the height difference between them, which is kind of funny.

“We’re on a date!” he chirps and Kageyama tries to shove him away, gritting his teeth and blushing profusely. “Shut up, dumbass! You don’t have to tell everyone!”

Hinata clings to his side. “Whaaaa?! But it’s true! We’re boyfriends, too! Since last week—! Ow, Kageyama!” he snaps as a flustered Kageyama pinches his forearm and calls him stupid again.

“O-oh! Congratulations!” Iwaizumi perks up slightly.

The pair calms down and settles for holding hands. Kageyama’s free hand is aggressively stuffed into his pocket while he averts his gaze, face flushed from more than just the cold.

“Thanks!” Hinata shines. “We were just heading out to dinner. Do you wanna come with us?”

Iwaizumi pauses again.

_I'd love to join, but I don’t wanna be a bother them..._

He rubs the back of his head, hesitant. “Ah, thank you for the invite, but I couldn’t possibly interrupt your date...”

“Aw, c’mon, it’s fine! It’d be an honor to get to know the great Iwaizumi Hajime!”

Iwaizumi freezes and blushes. He appreciates the sudden compliment, but is still skeptical. He averts his gaze. “Well...”

“Come with us.”

Iwaizumi looks up at Kageyama who is wearing a stern yet gentle expression now. He nods as if to say, “It’s fine,” and Iwaizumi momentarily purses his lips in thought.

_Well, maybe sticking around for a little while wouldn’t be so bad._

“...Alright. Why not?” Iwaizumi bends his arms in a shrug and Hinata laughs happily.

“Awesome! Let’s go!” he tugs on Kageyama’s hand, leading the way. “The restaurant is a few blocks away!”

~

Walking with Hinata and Kageyama turns out to be more enjoyable than Iwaizumi anticipated. Hinata is very talkative and asks him a lot of questions like, “Do you still play volleyball?”, “What are your hobbies?”, “Do you have any pets?”, “What’s your favorite food?”, etcetera, while Kageyama occasionally slides a comment in and blushes at Hinata. Overall, the interaction is incredibly domestic, and the simplicity of Iwaizumi’s current situation acts as a nice distraction for him— at least for a short while.

“We’re almost there!” Hinata exclaims after awhile, looking down at his phone with a map on-screen. “It should be right around the next corner, to our left!”

The streets are almost completely empty by now, and Iwaizumi realizes just how lucky he was to bump into these two- well, how lucky he was that Kageyama found him and saved him from a potentially life-threatening situation. He feels like he should do something more to thank him and further express his gratitude, but he hasn’t thought of a damn thing since they started walking. It was frustrating, but Kageyama probably wouldn’t accept a gift anyway.

They turn a corner and stop at a crossing light before Hinata blurts out, “Ah, there it is! Across the street!” He points to the entrance of a homey-looking restaurant and Kageyama’s stomach growls with anticipation. “Let’s go,” he says automatically. When the cars stop at the crossing and the little person icon on the digital sign turns white, the two start walking across the street. Iwaizumi isn’t following, though; he’s too busy gazing up at a vertical rectangular-shaped sign above him to his right. It reads ‘BAR’ and there’s a flashing silhouette of two beer bottles clanking together. Iwaizumi already chose not to go to The Green Leaf tonight because of Yahaba and Kyotani, but he never told himself that he wouldn’t drink at all.

A few drinks wouldn’t hurt, right? Besides, a little alcohol would help him loosen up. In his opinion, drowning his woes doesn’t sound too bad!

Iwaizumi glances over at Kageyama and Hinata who are already crossing the street. Kageyama turns, “Oi, you coming?” and cocks his head slightly. Him and Hinata are still holding hands.

“Ah, you two go on ahead,” Iwaizumi gives them a wave. “Go have fun on your date, I’m gonna head home,” he easily lies through his teeth. “Thanks for letting me tag along.”

Hinata turns to look at him as well. “Oh, okay! See you around, Iwaizumi-san!” He gives him a big wave and Iwaizumi smiles kindly as they turn back around and continue to the opposite side of the crossing. Kageyama’s eyes linger for a moment longer as if he’s skeptical and Iwaizumi wonders if he knows he’s lying, but for better or for worse, he never receives an answer.

“See you around.”

And in no time at all, Iwaizumi’s completely alone again. It’s gotten colder since he clocked out of work earlier, and he can see his breath in more prominent icy puffs of air. Luckily he isn’t outside for very long, because once he’s sure Kageyama and Hinata can’t see him anymore and are completely gone, he heads into the tempting bar to his right. He’s already decided to get drunk tonight.

But little does he know, the other side of the sign reads, ‘STRIP CLUB.’

~

He enters the building and is immediately surrounded by music that shakes him to the core. *This is a little different than an actual bar... it’s more like a club,* he quickly realizes, but he supposes loud music would help him further drown the worries in his head. The steady beat pounds in his ears but instead of being annoying to Iwaizumi, it’s actually quite invigorating. He’s trying to look at the positives.

_Time to let loose._

He starts to smoothly weave through the crowd, his eyes dead set on the bar against a far wall. It’s sort of difficult to navigate around drunken dancers in such dim lighting with only strobe lights to help him see, but he manages to reach his destination, staggering out of the crowd right up to the counter. It’s a relief that draws a heavy sigh out of him and makes him realize just how deep he is in foreign territory.

“You must be new here.”

A masculine voice jars Iwaizumi out of his surprised trance, and he looks ahead to see a tall man dressed in a black apron behind the bar counter. He’s washing a beer glass with a small towel and his watchful eyes are focused on the frazzled form of Iwaizumi, who has regained his sense of awareness and is finally stepping up to the counter.

“Uh, yeah... is it obvious?” Iwaizumi slides onto one of the bar stools with a sigh.

“Mhm,” the bartender hums with a warm, sympathetic smile on his face. He has brown hair tied up in a small bun in the back and brown eyes that are nervous but friendly at the same time. He also has a goatee, and Iwaizumi’s starting to put the pieces together in his head when they make eye contact and the bartender says, “Sorry, but do I know you?”

Iwaizumi is slightly taken aback by the question, but after another moment of digging through his thoughts, he snaps his fingers in realization.

“Yeah! We versed each other in volleyball back in high school. You were Karasuno’s ace, Azumane Asahi!”

“Right! And you were Aoba Johsai’s ace, Iwaizumi... Hajime?” the tall brunette replies uncertainly, to which Iwaizumi nods in confirmation.

Iwaizumi remembers studying all of Karasuno’s players night after night, similar to Oikawa. Back then, Asahi had been the powerful ace, but he’d always been playfully teased by the tiny second-year libero on the team. Iwaizumi thought their dynamic was cute, especially when they could be happy and gentle one moment then downright intimidating the next. He was glad to see that one of them was doing well.

“Nice to see you, you look good,” Iwaizumi compliments and they shake hands. Asahi’s hand is large and his palm is calloused, but there’s a firm warmth in his hold— like he’s gone through a lot, but has come back stronger than ever.

“You too! Man, it really has been awhile...” Asahi looks like he’s reminiscing.

“I never would’ve expected to find you here, in a place like this,” Iwaizumi admits, folding his arms on the counter.

“Oh, yeah... me neither,” he replies with a small laugh. “It’s a temporary job, since I’m just saving up some money to visit Yuu. He was the libero back in Karasuno, remember him?”

“How could I forget? He was the best libero I’ve ever faced,” Iwaizumi huffs in remembrance. Nishinoya Yuu: an incredibly enthusiastic and highly-skilled libero that Watari envied until he graduated high school. On the court, he always had an aura that screamed ‘I got your back!’, and with that, his team was able to play at 120% at all times.

_He was awesome. Way cooler than me._

Asahi laughs again. “Yeah, he’s really good. He plays on the official Japanese team now,” he can’t help but brag, and Iwaizumi notices a faint blush bloom on his cheeks as he shyly continues, “It’s amazing how hard he works. He’s been begging me to visit, so I thought I’d save up some money and surprise him. And this job is easy and pays well, so...” he drifts off, deftly cleaning a different glass with the same rag.

_First-name basis, blushing, bragging... it’s so obvious._

“Good luck,” Iwaizumi responds out of the blue. He keeps the term vague, since he’s definitely wishing him luck with not just his job.

“Haha, thank you. Um, anyways, what would you like?”

“Ah... just some beer,” Iwaizumi answers and leans on the counter with his elbows after showing his ID. “Coming right up,” Asahi turns to tend to the order, and Iwaizumi’s glancing around at the partygoers with a fading smile when he hears,

“Oh! While I have you here, I’ll give you little tip, Mr. Iwaizumi... it gets kinda crazy here on Friday nights.”

“Hah?” Iwaizumi looks at Asahi’s back, immediately becoming a little suspicious. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well...” Asahi starts almost nervously as he pours some beer into the thick glass he just cleaned. “People get drunk, mostly, and that’s obvious... but sometimes fights break out, people get hurt... y’know. It’s mostly stuff that happens in the strip club in the back, but there have been occurrences in the front here,” he briefly explains and wheels around to give Iwaizumi his drink. “It can get dangerous here. So just watch your back, alright? This is not a bad place at all, but... ah, I’m not good at explaining...” his voice wavers.

Iwaizumi gratefully takes his beer with a nod and lifts the glass to his lips. The cold alcohol feels good on his tongue despite its bitter taste and he can’t help but shiver a little with anticipation. He was so ready to get drunk and just forget about everything at a bar, then drown in regret and probably cry about his woes for roughly twenty minutes the following morning. _Exciting._

As he drinks, he processes Asahi’s fumbling words. It was easy to assume fights broke out at a bar, since people did crazy things when given alcohol. The pulsing music and vibrant energy in this specific bar didn’t help, and all the excitement could definitely contribute to people making rash decisions in the heat of the moment. Of course, Iwaizumi would never let that happen to himself since he was a responsible, level-headed adult and could hold his liquor better than anyone. And, hell, he could easily take on a mafia boss or some shit if he had to. Oh, and Asahi mentioned strippers as well, maybe he could take one home and-

All of a sudden, Iwaizumi’s eyes widen and he quickly slams the bottom of his glass on the counter, coughing and gasping and sputtering in shock.

Asahi is alarmed and his muscles visibly tense, brows worrying in terror. “A-are you okay?! Medic?!”

“No, no, no medic, I’m fine,” Iwaizumi gags hurriedly, obviously taken aback. “"Heh, wrong pipe. But did you... did you say strippers?”

He’s given a tissue to wipe himself down with while Asahi nods slowly, “Yeah. There’s a strip club in the back, you didn’t know that...?”

“No, I didn’t,” Iwaizumi swallows carefully. He can breathe, for now.

Asahi grins softly, relieved. “Well, yeah, there is one— right behind the bar here. Some people don’t always see the other side of the sign... it’s not designed very well. This happens a lot actually, it’s kinda funny and is sort of an ongoing joke with the other bartenders. One time, this totally smashed couple-“

Iwaizumi slowly resumes drinking his beer, his thoughts starting to wander while Asahi rambles.

_Dinner and a show, huh? With strippers? I’ve never been to a strip club before and I’m 21 years old now... is that sad? Shit, I dunno, that sounds kinda sad to me. I wonder if Mattsun and Makki have ever been to one before, I feel like they would’ve... honestly, either of them as strippers would be kinda hot. Or, like, REALLY hot... or maybe Oikawa... ah, fuck..._

Iwaizumi shakes his head. _No, don’t think about him! Fuck that guy! I came here to forget about him. So, maybe going to the strip club would help me get my mind off of... whatever these shitty feelings are. Yeah... that’s what I’ll do._

Two more mugs of beer help finalize his decision in the end. He decides to pay the strip club a visit, and if he gets bored or doesn’t like what he sees, he’ll just leave and go home. He could always go to bed early, which he’d been doing since Oikawa stopped hanging out with him.

_That name again. Fuck, go away!_

And just like that, his mind drifts to Oikawa. On nights like this, they’d probably be at one of their apartments watching shows and enthusiastically talking about whatever came to mind. Oikawa’s hair would be a mess of brown fluff since he was always so tired after working at his job as a volleyball coach and coordinator. Iwaizumi would be laid out on a couch and Oikawa smothering a beanbag, the both of them eating popcorn or milk bread. Oikawa would probably fall asleep a couple episodes into some random ass TV series and Iwaizumi would take it upon himself to pick him up and lay him in bed, but not before admiring his face first and desperately wishing to kiss his soft, slightly-parted lips.

Either that, or they’d be out to dinner somewhere. Maybe they’d be sitting down at Iwaizumi’s favorite restaurant that made, in his opinion, the best agedashi tofu in all of Japan, and they’d have the window seat with some nice lighting on the sill next to them. They’d talk about little nothings, blurting out anything they could think of about their jobs and maybe reminisce about their volleyball days once or twice. It would just be the two of them, or they’d possibly invite Hanamaki and Matsukawa over and it’d just be the four of them... like old times, back in high school. It was such calm, domestic interactions with Oikawa specifically that made Iwaizumi’s heart swell in his chest and remember why he loved him so much.

Oikawa has such charisma; he’s fun to be around, and has this upbeat energy about him that’s easily contagious. Ever since middle school he’d been a go-getter, always climbing those few extra steps to become the best of the best, and although Iwaizumi admired him, he hated how truly hard he’d sometimes push himself. Iwaizumi often had to yell -or bash- some sense into him and bring him back down to earth, but he didn’t mind because he was used to Oikawa getting out of hand and the ugly arguments were worth it as long as Oikawa returned to normal in the end.

In high school, Oikawa was much more well-rounded. They met Hanamaki and Matsukawa and their new team coordinated amazingly, and they were able to get quite far— even standing up to Shiratorizawa, a true powerhouse school, several times, as well as forming a heated rivalry with the up-and-coming Karasuno. Iwaizumi watched Oikawa flourish into a better version of himself and he was proud of him, because he knew he deserved recognition for how much of a hard-worker he was. Iwaizumi finally developed a little puppy crush for him somewhere in their third year of high school, when he realized they probably wouldn’t have that much time left together, and it pained him ever since.

Then, the two of them finally parted ways for college. Oikawa traveled far and they quickly lost contact, even though they’d been talking to each other almost daily for decades. It hurt Iwaizumi even more and threw him for a full loop he didn’t recover from until almost a year later, when he started focusing more on his schoolwork. He participated in college for a short few years until dropping out for a promising job close to home, and only after he bought his own apartment and started making a name for himself in business did he find Oikawa Tooru himself in a convenience store down the street at exactly one in the morning.

And what was worse, Iwaizumi quickly realized his warm feelings for Oikawa hadn’t faded since high school. He still loved hearing him talk, even though he’d never admit that, and he found amusement in the way his eyes lit up when he spoke about aliens or volleyball or something else he liked. They started hanging out more and Iwaizumi was glad to find out that Oikawa hadn’t changed much, and they started spending time together whenever they could- similar to how they were all the way back in middle school, and even before then.

But now, all of a sudden, that wasn’t the case anymore.

Iwaizumi slams his third empty glass of beer down as anger courses through him. Right, Oikawa’s been ignoring him lately, constantly putting him off and acting like Iwaizumi’s a mere pest that keeps coming back to bother him. It was like no matter what Iwaizumi said, no matter what he did, Oikawa would still blow him off like he didn’t care. Iwaizumi couldn’t help but feel like he did something wrong, like he should have noticed something but he didn’t and now Oikawa was angry with him. It infuriated and worried him, and Iwaizumi’s intense emotions are pooling up and starting to make his blood boil until he suddenly smacks his hands on the counter and stands up.

_I don’t need Shittykawa._

“Hey,” he gets Asahi’s attention with a growl that is more aggressive than intended. “You said the strip club is in the back, right?”

There’s a brief pause, and then Asahi nods in understanding. “Yeah, just around the corner. Be careful.”

~

So Iwaizumi heads to the strip club just behind the bar, and he is not disappointed in the slightest by what he sees.

_Yeah, this place is definitely a strip club._

The music has gotten sensual and the lighting of the room has intensified, decorated with neon blue and purple lights along the walls as well as tables and couches pressed against them. The people have dispersed slightly but still huddle mostly in the center, obviously taking advantage of the main attractions, but some are sitting on the sidelines and eating dinner with friends. Through the mass of bodies, Iwaizumi spots another dimly-lit bar counter in the corner of the room and assumes that’s where he’d get some food, but his stomach is so churned up that he’s sure he’d vomit if he even smelled any. Hell, if he moved too fast he’d hurl.

For once, he much rather prefers the scent of cigarette smoke and sweat, as disgusting as that sounds. And, honestly, finding a spot to sit down and enjoy another beer doesn’t sound too bad, but the remaining specks of rationality in the back of his head remind him why he’s here and make him think otherwise.

He’s come here out of curiosity, but also the lowkey desire to satisfy himself with someone prettier than Oikawa— if that was even physically possible. He felt like he needed a new distraction, otherwise he’d go home and be a sexually and mentally frustrated hot mess for days on end. Being drunk doesn’t help his case either, and the image of him doubling over the toilet with his fucked-up digestive tract sounded incredibly unappealing. Ugh, he’d have to deal with that later, probably.

_No, don’t think about that. Don’t think about anything. Just focus on... strippers. Yes, right._

There’s several of them, both male and female, pole-dancing sensually on raised platforms to the music playing. They’re wearing provocative outfits like lingerie and thongs that make the people standing in the crowds drool and cheer, and that’s not all. Some onlookers are so entranced that they throw dollar bills at the strippers in hopes of being noticed, and sometimes it works. Iwaizumi watches with interest as one of the female strippers bends forward and outstretches an arm to gently caress the cheek of a love-stricken man, but the sight is quickly forgotten as Iwaizumi grunts and works his way through the crowd.

The one closest to the entrance is a woman with short blond hair and a very large chest and rear that she seems to quite enjoy showing off. She’s dressed in sexy red lingerie that barely covers her breasts and crotch area and her face is caked in makeup. Iwaizumi doesn’t look at her for very long, as her flamboyant looks and sinister grin put him off quite a bit. Also, with all that makeup, she kind of reminds him of a clown, and clowns are fucking scary.

Some more pushing through the crowd brings him to a second female stripper. This one is another woman; she's a brunette with pretty blue eyes, long eyelashes, and straight hair that reaches halfway down her back, and she isn’t wearing nearly as much makeup as the blond next door. She’s a bit more on the slender side and seems to seduce any onlookers with smooth hip movements, ultimately dominating the pole like it was her destiny. She’s definitely more experienced than the first one but the blond is still more popular, probably because of how busty and flashy she is. She keeps Iwaizumi’s attention a little longer than the blond, but after a few moments, he loses interest again and continues on. He doesn’t even bother to look at the other strippers, partially because his hazy mind automatically renders the others unsatisfying after being disappointed twice.

 _This place blows,_ he thinks with an irritated expression and an impatient twitch in his brow. _They’re attractive, but no one looks better than— fuck... HIM. I can’t stop thinking about HIM. Fuck that guy... but, god, I wish I could actually fuck him. Ah, I can’t help it, why am I so damn hopeless?!_ Iwaizumi’s scattered mind rambles and he stuffs his hands in his pockets and turns to leave, using his broad shoulders to shove people out of the way.

_I’m outta here. I'm just making myself angrier._

His mood has turned sour again despite the talk he had with Hinata and Kageyama as well as the three glasses of beer he drank. The self-hatred he’s been feeling for weeks on end is starting to really get to him, if that wasn’t already obvious with the near-death experience he had maybe twenty minutes ago. He wasn’t sure how to deal with these stupid, awful, turbulent feelings.

_This was a complete waste of my time. I’m just gonna go home, but first I think I’ll buy some more beers. And when I get home, maybe I’ll text Shittykawa and tell him off— that’ll get my point across. Then I’ll fuckin’... delete his number or something. Not like I’ll make use of it anymore, goddamn asshole. I don’t need him anyway._

His brows are aggressively scrunched together as he makes his way to the exit, mumbling and hissing obscene profanities under his breath over and over again. He can’t help it because he’s drunk and royally pissed off, and he couldn’t remember the last time he was so angry but at this point he wasn’t going to bother thinking about it. He didn’t want to think about anything right now.

All Iwaizumi wants to do is go home. Or, even better: vanish without a trace.

And he did _not_ sign up for a sudden change of plans.

Just before Iwaizumi can leave, the sound of a microphone turning on and a long nail tapping its head echoes throughout the crowded room. Gradually, the room full of partygoers quiets, and everyone’s attention is drawn to a far wall with a stage against it. Iwaizumi gives an irritated, “Hah?” and turns, his curiosity quickly getting the best of him— then again, he wasn’t totally in control of himself anymore, and got distracted easily. Alcohol really fucked him up.

“Attention, my friends!” a skinny woman dressed in suggestive tight-fitting clothing calls from the stage, her voice irritatingly loud thanks to the microphone. “You have all been lovely guests tonight, and we want to thank you for your patronage and cooperation! As you may know, we have a special guest tonight who would like to put on a very special show just for you!”

 _Just for me? Yeah, whatever,_ Iwaizumi thinks sarcastically with a strained hum. He’s still trying to leave but the crowd of people has thickened, totally blocking his exit. _Tch, whoever this damn guest is sure is popular, huh?_

“He’s recently been dominating the charts, and is arguably the most talented stripper we have here tonight!”

_I don’t care._

“He makes men and women alike swoon, and word on the street says he’s a player!”

_Get me out of here._

“I hope you’re excited, because I sure am!”

_Don’t worry, I’m not...!_

“Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together!”

_Why are there so many damn people here?!_

“I would like to introduce you toooo.....!”

_Shut up,_

_Shut up,_

_Shut up! There’s too much noise! I should’ve never came here!_

“Oikawa Tooru, otherwise known as Black Velvet!!”

Iwaizumi is stopped dead in his tracks.

.

..

...

....

“Huh?”

Iwaizumi turns around so fast he could’ve gotten whiplash. There, on the stage, was Oikawa Tooru himself, having emerged from the curtains and now greeting his ‘fans’ with waves and airborne kisses.

...

What?

Dressed in a sleek black robe that looks soft to the touch and high black heels to match, Oikawa confidently walks to the front of the stage. The exposed, smooth skin of his legs and signature wavy hair shines in the spotlight like he was born to be the center of attention, and on his smug ass face is a smirk that’s proud and genuine. And, it’s kinda hard to tell from such a distance, but Iwaizumi can just barely make out some blush, soft pink lipstick, eyeliner, and intense turquoise eyeshadow coating his face. Now Iwaizumi had never particularly been a fan of makeup, but after seeing Oikawa wearing some and making it work way too well, he inadvertently changed his mind.

_Oh, and would you look at that... all of a sudden, Iwaizumi’s incredibly hard too! Amazing!_

He can do nothing but stare, frozen in place, as the microphone is passed onto Oikawa and he gives the crowd a radiant and drop-dead gorgeous smile. Fuck. Has he always been that beautiful? The answer is yes, and Iwaizumi knows that but can’t currently fathom it.

Thinking he’d suddenly passed out and was having a scarily lucid dream, Iwaizumi strongly pinches the back of his wrist. He inhales sharply— shit, that hurt. He’s awake.

“Good evening everyone!” Oikawa’s dumb voice rings out, and Iwaizumi officially confirms that this whole scenario is real. Oikawa Tooru, the man that had been driving him insane and making him question his sexuality since high school, was covered in makeup and oozing sex appeal and confidence like never before in front of possibly hundreds of people. And he was damn popular too, because the crowd was hooting and hollering and going absolutely crazy.

“It’s an honor to be here in front of you! I’m Black Velvet, and I will be putting on a little show for you. This one’s gonna be particularly special... as some of you may know, I’ve been practicing. So please look forward to it,” he gives a deadly wink and suddenly Iwaizumi grossly chokes on his own spit and coughs, freaking out some people next to him.

_I have to be dreaming. This can’t be real, it just can’t, he thinks frantically, definitely in denial. Did I die? Am I dead? Did I actually get hit by that cab and Kageyama and Hinata were just illusions? Is this a figment of my imagination too? No, it can’t be, but it has to be at the same time. Everything feels so real, smells so real, and I can still taste the damn beer... this IS real. Oikawa’s a stripper._

_And, god— my heart is fucking pounding. It’s definitely gonna explode or some shit._

Oikawa hands off the microphone to some unimportant stagehand and turns his back to the crowd as the lights dim, and in that moment, he undeniably has the attention of everyone in the room. With a smug ass smile over his shoulder, [music](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F03jbtcrYw) starts to play in the background, and the show officially begins.

And for a solid three and a half minutes, Iwaizumi forgets to breathe.

The music starts with a nice beat and Oikawa circling the pole in the center of the stage, hips swaying. Each step is high and defined, showing off his legs and heels while the crowd —and Iwaizumi, in all of his gay glory— watches in quiet awe. As usual, the brunette is giving off that aura that naturally draws people in, but in this environment and in his current position, that aura is strengthened tenfold. Everyone is hooked.

The music is more upbeat and fun than Iwaizumi would’ve ever imagined, but as he listens, he realizes it’s totally him. Oikawa goes right along with it, moving in harmony with every note, taking ahold of the pole and swinging around it with ease. He wraps a leg around it and spins once, twice, several times more, then comes to a stop during a pause in the lyrics to face the crowd and bite his lower lip.

Because he knows he’s good. And this is only the beginning.

After a short while of teasing, his hands delicately lift to grab the middle of the silken robe crossed over his chest. While the music endures a sharp pulse then flows easily into the lyrics again, he slowly and fluidly peels off the robe, letting it slip off his shoulders to expose a jet black lingerie suit. It’s like a two-piece bikini that leaves his slender arms, legs, and abs completely exposed, but the bottom half is like a skin-tight pair of shorts that leaves almost nothing to the imagination. Iwaizumi briefly pictures himself slowly peeling those skimpy clothes off, feeling and teasing every inch of Oikawa’s body until he was flustered and way too pent up. He’d be begging him for release— begging Iwaizumi to satisfy him or else. Iwaizumi would call him out on his very obvious bluff and continue, biting marks into his hot skin and licking up his sweat and carding his hands through his messy hair-

Iwaizumi blinks, fantasy fading away. He lifts a hand and wipes his mouth with the back of his wrist.

_I’m... I’m fucking drooling over this guy!_

The crowd grows loud again, cheering as the bastard reveals the rest of his body then tosses the robe to the back of the stage. Iwaizumi’s attention immediately snaps back to him as he parades around the pole and gyrates his hips, back arched to show off the smooth curve of his ass that was previously hidden by the robe. With his true outfit now revealed, he seemed to be getting even more confident, and he started to dominate the pole itself. The music is fast.

With a quick spin and a visible tense in his arm muscles, Oikawa hoists himself up onto the pole. He twirls multiple times, swooping a leg out and behind him to give himself more speed. He grabs the suspended foot and lifts it behind him, striking a ballet-like pose as he spins and giving the audience a clear view of everything. While the crowd cheers, Oikawa lowers his leg and firmly grabs the pole with two hands, then suspends his legs in the air and briefly strikes a pose in tune with the music. He’s like a beautiful acrobat.

After Oikawa stripped himself of his robe, Iwaizumi had pushed his way through the crowd to get a better view of the wavy-haired beauty. He’s now in the center of the crowd rather than the back, and he can better see Oikawa’s skin-tight outfit glistening in the light and the mischievous glint in his eyes. Iwaizumi’s heart pounds relentlessly —it had been since Oikawa strut onto the stage— and he feels like he can’t look away, otherwise Oikawa will vanish. His mouth has run dry and his lips feel horribly cracked, tongue like sandpaper.

Oikawa’s higher on the pole now, legs locking around it before he bends backwards to show off just how strong and balanced he is. He then slides down, perfectly regains his footing, and starts to dance flamboyantly around the pole.

**Do you know what you got into?**

**Can you handle what I’m ‘bout to do?**

****

****

**Cuz it’s about to get rough for you~**

**I’m here for your entertainment~!**

As the music finally slows, Oikawa balances on one foot while his other leg hooks neatly around the pole. With one hand still gripping the pole he leans out and slowly turns to face the audience once more, sweat glistening on his forehead.

The song stops, as does Oikawa, and an arm is outstretched almost daintily. He freezes in that pose as the song fades out, and the crowd cheers wildly while he catches his breath.

It was a phenomenal, flawless performance. A record-breaker for sure.

And suddenly, everything seems frozen in time.

The crowd’s cheering fades out.

Everyone’s movements slow down, too.

It almost feels... like a dream.

Oikawa glances around at the crowd, reveling in the attention and praise. His heart is pounding in slow motion too, and he can feel the rhythmic impact in his ears. But his arm is still outstretched, and with waning vigor he follows the trail of his hand to maintain his pose for picture-taking.

But he realizes... he’s pointing at someone, and zeroes in on them in a single beat. It’s a body— barely visible in the crowd, but very much there.

A body whose heart currently matched the speed of his own.

A body whose heart, unbeknownst to him, ached. Painfully.

A body with strong but gentle hands he yearned to be touched by.

A body with flushed cheeks, wide sparkling eyes, and a slightly agape mouth. A body just as surprised as he was.

It was the body that belonged to Iwaizumi Hajime.

Their eyes lock for a second. Two seconds. It’s surreal, their expressions unreadable.

And then, in raw realization, their hearts come to a complete and total _stop._

**Author's Note:**

> In honor of my IG fan account reaching 1k followers, I decided to post my first fanfic! It's still a work in progress so please look forward to Chapter 2, where things get real spicy :eyes:  
> Thanks for reading!!


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